


And it's not complete yet, musn't get our feet wet

by EponineTheStrange (gallifreyandglowclouds)



Category: Doctor Who RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-06
Updated: 2013-06-06
Packaged: 2017-12-14 04:24:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/832707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gallifreyandglowclouds/pseuds/EponineTheStrange
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Matt and Karen already have a toddler, and Karen is pregnant again. Karen gets sent to the hospital with complications.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And it's not complete yet, musn't get our feet wet

Matt’s trying his absolute best to get little Anne to eat her mashed potatoes with a knife and fork, but it’s not really working out that well, and more mashed potatoes are ending up all over the table than in her mouth. Anne is endlessly entertained at this. She’s three. It’s to be expected. Matt’s a bit less entertained, and the very, very pregnant Karen just looks exhausted. 

“Three more weeks,” mouths Matt from across the table, because that’s how far they are from her due date. Smillan (ha, yes, they borrowed that one from Tumblr) Baby number two has been giving Karen far more trouble than Annie ever did, and she’s already spent a few days in the hospital because of super severe morning sickness. 

“At this point,” she had said to Matt between dry heaves, “I think I’ll take my chances with another newborn.”

Karen’s been having headaches lately, and because both she and Matt are paranoid parents if there were ever any, she’s got an appointment at the GPs tomorrow.  

“Mommy’s moony!” Annie yells, and Karen gives Matt the glare of death.  

“I called you Moonface in front of her once!” Matt says, in protest. 

“That’s all it takes.” 

Annie finally finishes enough of her potatoes that she can be allowed to leave the table and go play with her stuffed animals. As she bolts out of the room, Matt kisses Karen on the forehead. 

“If you’ll do the stuffed animal tea party for ten minutes,” he whispers, keeping one eye on Annie in the living room, “I’ll do dishes, and then I’ll be on bath and bedtime duty, and you can go to sleep.” 

Karen nods. “Thanks, love.” 

“Any time, darling.” 

Annie’s so much like how Matt imagines Karen as a toddler that it’s a little bit ridiculous. She’s got Karen’s hair, and Matt distinctly remembers Karen swearing to him that they’d have to have another child if she wasn’t a ginger. She’s bouncy and always running, and endlessly curious about everything and anything, and is excellent at making messes (and improving, gradually) at cleaning them up. The only thing that Matt has ever seen her keep clean is her Adipose plush, which Steven gave her and at which Matt internally rolls his eyes because his three year old already has more Doctor Who things than anyone could ever want, and she is militant about keeping that thing snowy white.

She splashes him at bath time like she always does, and they read  _Scaredy Squirrel_  together before he tucks her in and kisses her goodnight. 

Karen’s still tossing and turning by the time Matt’s done with Annie. 

“Foot rub?” He asks, sitting down on the bed. 

“Back rub would be nice,” she says quietly. 

He lies down beside her and rubs her back, and she’s asleep in a couple of minutes. 

* * *

Matt is awoken at about midnight because the bed has suddenly started to shake very, very hard. 

That would be because Karen’s having a seizure beside him, and then he freaks out a little bit, because he knows from reading all of the baby books that this is probably eclampsia and they’ve missed all the symptoms leading up to it, and his only experience with eclampsia up until now was watching the girl on  _Downton Abbey_ die of it. 

That’s not going to happen, though, because it’s nearly a century later and modern medicine better be able to do something to save his Kazza (not to mention the child she’s carrying). 

He grabs the phone and punches in 999, and god bless the NHS because he hears the squeal of ambulance tires not five minutes later. 

Karen’s not seizing any more, but she’s confused and as the paramedics are carrying her out on the stretcher, Annie wakes up and starts wailing. 

He first figures out where they’re taking Karen, and then goes and attends to Annie who has gone from crying a little to a full-on meltdown. 

“Hey sweetheart,” he says, “Mommy’s going to be okay, but she just had to go to the hospital for a little while, but things are going to be okay, alright?” He’s trying his best to keep the hysteria in his voice down for Annie’s benefit but right now he’s as scared as he’s ever been. 

He blows Annie’s nose, and she calms down a little. 

“Is baby going to be okay?” Annie asks, sniffling a little. 

Matt nods, though he isn’t actually sure. “We need to get dressed and we’re going to go to the hospital and maybe see mommy, and maybe Nana and Granny can come down and see us too.” He lays out some clothes for her, and also packs a little bag of toys and the iPad to try and keep her busy at the hospital. 

He uses the Bluetooth in their car to call his and Karen’s parents, and though Karen’s parents are worried they can’t come down right away, but Matt’s parents say they’ll come down to London and offer to take care of Annie while Karen’s in the hospital so Matt can stay with her. 

The two of them go and sit in the waiting room because they aren’t allowed to see Karen just yet, and Matt unleashes Annie upon the drawing app. He grabs a magazine and tries his best to read it, but he’s too worried about Karen and it would be really, really nice if they would let him see her right now. 

Annie looks up and sees her grandparents walking down the hallway towards her. 

“Nana! Poppa!” She yells, places the iPad in Matt’s lap, and dashes towards them. Matt breathes a quiet sigh of relief and walks after her to his parents. 

Matt’s dad picks her up. “There’s my little darling! How are you, sweetheart?” 

“I’m ‘kay,” Annie says, “but they took mommy away and that makes me sad.” 

“Well,” Matt’s mom says, “hopefully mommy will get better soon.” She looks at Matt and asks, “How is she?” 

“I don’t know,” Matt says, “we’ve been here about forty-five minutes and they haven’t told us much, only that they’ve managed to stop the seizures, so I guess that’s good.” 

Matt’s mom pulls him in for a hug, and the combination of exhaustion, worry, and affection makes him tear up a little. 

“She’s going to be okay,” his mom says. “Karen’s a strong person, and they’re going to do everything for her.” 

“I know,” Matt says. He wipes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Here’s Annie’s stuff. Just let her sleep in as much as she’d like, and there’s food in the fridge and you guys know everything. Thanks so much.” 

“Anything will help right now,” Matt’s dad says, carrying a half-asleep Annie. “Keep us updated, okay?” 

Matt nods, and then takes Annie from his dad. “Hey angel, you’re going to go home with Nana and Poppa, okay? I’m going to call you guys as soon as anything happens, okay?” 

Annie, who has never been up this late in her entire life, nods sleepily. Matt passes her back to his dad, and his parents go. Matt sits back down, and starts waiting again. 

Twenty minutes later, a nurse all dressed in surgical gear comes out and hands Matt a gown and mask. “We’ve managed to stabilise her enough that we can do a C-section on her now.”

Right, because that’s the only way that you can cure eclampsia. This is all happening quite quickly. He walks quickly to keep up with the nurse and puts the gown and mask on as he goes. 

When they get in to the operating theatre, he sees Karen on the table, and a flurry of people around her. She’s got needles sticking out of her arms and looks absolutely petrified. 

“I’ve got the father coming through!” The nurse yells, and points Matt towards a chair that’s been set up beside the table for him. 

He sits down beside her, and though everyone’s rushing and talking in these tense hushed tones, he’s smiling because he’s so happy to see that she’s still alive. 

“Hey Kazza,” he says weakly, and grabs her hand. 

“Matt,” she says, and the pain and worry in her eyes kills him a little. “I’m scared.” 

“You’re gonna be fine,” he says, and he’s got no rational basis for saying that other than the fact that it just has to be that way, and he’ll go to hell and back if he can help her. “You’re so close to your due date that he or she will be hardly premature. We’re going to have a little brother or sister for Annie. And you’re so strong, Karen, and I love you so much and it’s just going to be okay, alright?” 

She nods, but she’s hyperventilating, and Matt gently strokes her forehead to try and calm her down. 

One of the nurses walks up to Matt and says, “Anything you can do to calm her down right now would be much appreciated.” 

He nods at the nurse, and then looks back at Karen and smiles. “Do you remember the day we got married?” 

She nods, though it’s strained. “I remember you nearly falling in to the duck pond when we were getting pictures taken. That was too funny.” 

“I looked handsome in that kilt.” 

She closes her eyes and smiles. “Yeah, yeah you did.” Her face screws up again and she looks like she’s about to cry. 

“You know what I remember, Kaz? I remember falling in love with you in the first place when we went to New York and saw that TARDIS door at that restaurant. I just remember that your eyes were so full of wonder, and I just remember my heart bursting a little, because that was when the little lightbulb went on, that was when I knew that I wasn’t going to let you get away from me ever. And you sure aren’t getting away from me now, Karen Gillan.” He looks her straight in the eye, and then says, “Breathe with me, okay Kazza? In, out.” 

They breathe together, and he’s looking at her and she’s looking at him and that seems to pull them both in to this wonderful, peaceful place, because that’s the kind of connection they have, and Matt thanks himself for that, that the whole world can shrink to him and Karen and that’s okay. 

He’s brought back to reality by the sharp cry of a newborn, and he kisses her on the forehead and grins. 

“Well done,” he says, “you’ve done it, Kaz. You’ve got a beautiful little baby…” he cranes his neck to try and see the child that the doctors are passing over their heads, and one of the nurses supplies the answer for him: “girl.” 

“Annie’s got a little sister,” Karen says. “What name did we agree on again?” 

“Eleanor.” 

“Right.” Karen says. “Can I see her?” 

Matt looks at one of the nurses, who shakes her head. “In a few minutes. They’re just going to check her out, because it’s been a difficult delivery. She’s a little jaundiced but otherwise looks perfect. Now, let’s finish this up, shall we?”

The medical team went about sewing Karen back up, and Matt got up to go and call the grandparents.

He calls Karen’s parents first, and the relief in her father’s voice is palpable when he tells him that everything’s fine with Karen and the baby and that they’ve got a new little granddaughter.  

“We haven’t gone to bed tonight,” her father says. “Too much worry. We’ll be down to visit soon. “ 

“Thanks,” Matt says. “We’ll see you guys.” 

He hangs up and calls home. 

Annie picks up the phone. This is one of her new skills. 

“Daddy?” She says. 

“Hey, angel,” he says, his daughter’s voice calming him down. 

“Is mommy okay?” 

“Yeah, she’s okay. And you’ve got a brand new baby sister here.” 

“Yaaaay! Can I see her?” 

“Not yet, but if you can put Nana or Poppa on the phone we might be able to set something up for later today.” 

“Okay,” Annie says. “Here’s Poppa.” 

He talks to his dad, and says that he’ll call once the doctors give visitors the okay. 

He goes back inside the operating theatre, and Karen’s got little baby Eleanor lying against her chest. He feels this overwhelming rush of emotions and cries a little when he sits back down beside Karen and Eleanor. 

“Look,” Karen says, “it’s silly daddy. But he’s the best daddy ever, because he’s got the biggest heart and he’ll love anyone, and he’ll love you the most of anyone.” 

“Hi, little Ellie,” he says and she coos, and her eyes flutter open. “You’re a bit yellow right now, but it’s wonderful to meet you.” 

Karen is wheeled back to her little room to recover from the C-section, and she, Matt, and Eleanor are all asleep within ten minutes. 

* * *

Annie’s first observation about Eleanor is quite apt: “Babies aren’t yellow.” 

Karen smiles, as does Matt and his parents, because that’s the most three-year old thing they’ve heard in a long time. 

“She won’t look this way forever,” Karen says. “Hopefully she’ll look a bit more normal in a few days. It’s only because she was born early.” 

Annie nods, and Matt lifts her on to his lap. He’s in a chair beside Karen’s bed, and this allows Annie to get a little closer to her baby sister. 

“You’re going to be Ellie,” she says. 

“I like it,” Karen says, smiling at her older daughter, and Matt nods in agreement. 

 


End file.
